Ventures & Such

A weekend worth bantering about, revelations, and a funny little thing called love. Sometimes one gets so caught up with routine and living a life in the comfort lazy-zone, that the things one once loved are forgotten. There's this city nestled on the coast about an hour and a half outside of Los Angeles where I grew up called San Clemente. There's eroding geological wonders, vanishing beaches, epic waves, and my old bedroom that's been taken over by my parents belongings. You know you're back in your old neighborhood, when you can hear the roaring horns of trains traveling alongside the sand and the moist ocean air, sifts a salty layer upon your skin. It's happiness really.

You realize that L.A. is a city which offers you glitzy entertaining options, musical venues aplenty, eateries galore, pretty spectacular people watching, but no sea. It'd been forever since I actually took a walk down to the beach and swam out into the Pacific, and let me tell you it was a religious experience, perhaps what an ultra religious person might feel upon being saved. In fact, I was saved that sunny Friday afternoon as I dove under waves and floated about so free. Later that evening I finally took out my new 9'8 surfboard, which I freshly waxed with my brother and we paddled out. The bright blood-orange sun began making its way down into the shadowy blue waters, and my heart sank with it. I caught a few good ones that evening, nothing spectacular, but that of the entire day. Saturday brought forth business in San Diego with some lovely individuals as we set off in our Party Bus/Limo for a Brewery tour.

Green Flash was first up on our list as we sipped on fine beers, pregaming for some ridiculous reason. Six bucks bought you a flight of beer, TEN beers which were all really quite fantastic. My favorites included the Hop Head Red Ale, Imperial India Pale Ale, and Double Stout. All the beers exuded unique features in the palatal region, and the beerstresses schooled us and gave a grand tour of the place. Next on the list was Lost Abbey as we continued with our buzz.

Of all the places, I thought that this was likely going to be my favorite of the 3, however due to unfortunate circumstances of a supposed on again off again fridge problem, the beer wasn't as cold as it should've been. I'm a belgian lover, don't get me wrong but these were just boring. Their Inferno was probably the most exciting, but nothing really caught my tongue except the Hop 15, having the perfect amount of hops. After we finished up here, Stone Brewery came quickly upon us as we had a little dance party and acrobat spectacle back in our pimpmobile.

If San Diego had a Disneyland of breweries, Stone would win first prize hands down. It's extravagant design of mixing rustic California adventure, with an outdoor wonderland of creeks and lush greenery is simply amazing. We ordered a few over priced appetizers and drank a few delicious cold ones outdoors. Lagunita's was one of the beers I love, love, loved and there was another one, but really you expect me to remember the name?

And that was my "magical" weekend, as Huell Howser would say. Many more to come of course, I'll be giving you a full report on the Flaming Lips performance, which will be happening August 15th at the Del Mar tracks (you should go, only 6 bucks & there's a beer fest) in the coming weeks . I leave you with something lovely, an Elliott Smith cover by my beloved Wilco...

Wilco-Thirteen (Elliott Smith cover)

90 Minute IPA

Jeff was kind enough to surprise Eugene and I on Saturday night, by swinging by Cap N' Cork to find this mysteriously on the shelf. Apparently Dogfish Head brewing Co is rather popular on the East Coast, and to come across this particular beer in Sunny ol' California is quite a find. I loved the statements slapped all over the 4 pack boasting about it being, "Perhaps the best IPA in America." It's likely the smoothest IPA I've ever had, with a subtle hoppiness and slight hints of Belgian ancestry. I could likely pass this beer off to some of my anti-IPA friends, who are fearful of embracing a little hops. Two of these weighing in at a nagrly 9%, will leave you with a Intensely. Perfect. Ahh. filled buzz for the beer lover in you. I'd give it a 9/10 and I'd reallllly like to try their 60 minute as well as their 120 minute next, that is if I can find it...

Here's some JLew to accompany such a lovely beer.
Dntel-Roll On (feat Jenny Lewis)

Lights & Music

It's Thursday evening and I've had a longer day than usual. A ridiculous 9am math test bantering on about Fermat and Descartes, something about probability... I worked it of course, and then had to race back to our Feliz to grab my homework for another class, that I had so forgetfully forgotten at home. Upon my return, Eugene talked me into hitting up Square One for a late lunch with one of his buddies. Buttermilk chicken Sandwich with a truffle aoli, portobello mushrooms, and potato salad, I love you. Back to school I went, meandering on the 5 listening to my new mix and a class that discussed the unpleasant talk of rape, I returned home to my lovely lady and Emma bear. Realizing my birhtday party is in less than two days and my tolerance to booze is extremely low, I dubbed Jo my drinking partner for the evening in hopes of building a tolerance. A beer and a half later, I'm pretty much buzzed pleasantly listening to a youtube video of Thome Yorke my buddy sent me. Saturday should be fantastically fun, I'm just hoping that I'm liquored perfectly throughout the crawl and make it back to our home to partake in dancing and cake. So here's a song to hype myself and potentially you up for it... for my Birthday.

Cut Copy-Lights & Music

Midahs Touch

My fellow FtLMB members were kind enough to leave me one of these the other night, when I was absent from one of our meetings this weekend. Today after a hike from our home to the tip top of Mt Hollywood and a morning excursion to Larchmont Village for my usu. farmers marketing, I plopped down on the couch and savored this. The description on the bottle sounds on the suicidal side of beers, but at the same time fascinating. Ingredients consisting of barley, white Muscat grapes, honey & saffron had me at hello... since I'm a wine and beer lover alike. She smells dirty and fragrent, as if someone threw in a splash of wine, but i'm into it. Taste-wise its delicately smooth on the tounge, honey is flowing in the perfect amount, a kick of spices lye underneath, and it's defintely a 9% alcohol content. Apparently this beer is the oldest known fermented beverage in the world, and has to do with that king... Overall I'd give it an 7.5/10.

Here's a band that is milk and honey.
A Band of Bees- I Love You

Duchess de Bourgogne

She's one of the most beautiful beers, I've ever had the pleasure of meeting and tasting. In our inaugural meeting of the FtLMB (For the Love of Music and Beer), we started off our tasting with this here Duchess. Her quaint manor of dark cherry aroma and 6.2% wine-like characteristics, tied to being a red Belgian, swooned me into bliss, as we savored every last drop. Kinda reminded me of a Barley wine, but a million times better. This lovely lady is surely pleasant to drink with her bursting aromas and smooth taste of heaven, my lady we will meet again.

Now for a not so delicate song to contrast this beauty. My favorite loud driving music band, fuled with sex, drugs, booze, and pure sexiness.
Queens of the Stone Age-Feel Good Hit of the Summer

Belgian Bliss

Well hello 9.4%...

Oh spontaneous trips to Cap N' Cork on Monday evenings, I love you. We came across Brother Thelonious Abbey Ale and packaging of beer, we simply couldn't refuse. Not a bad beer at all, but not the best I've ever had. He went down smoothly, with dark undertones of bitter cherry and a slight sweetness to it. I'd say complex could very well be his middle name, and judging by the ultra-deluxe labeling, this brother, is the Kayne of the Monk community. I'm quite tipsy after a single bottle from our four pack, and overall I'd give this beer here an 8.

Here's some Thelonious Monk and John Coltrane to coincide with the good times.

Thelonious Monk and John Coltrane-Sweet and Lovely

Hop Ottin' IPA

It's Friday and I have the entire weekend off to partake in my usual shenanigan activities and begin my 10 page autoethnography! The sun is gracing us with our perfect Califiornia weather and my urge to drink midday has stricken me. Lately I've been head over heels for IPA's and Belgians, and thank god for my local Trader Joes, and their often cute beer stocking boys to recommend this. I like beers that I can relate to on a personal level, this Boonville Beer is hoppy, feisty, aromatic, and exuding a complexity that some might not be able to grasp. If you're a lover of Stone, this quite possibly may be better, for its absolutely delicious and quite affordable for only $6.99 a pack. Heart you 7% and afternoon buzz... Mmmmm

OkkerviI River-For Real